Page 162 of Steeling Her
“I’m sure you were like that at her age. Where do you think she gets it from?” I tease her, and she orders me to shut up. I snort back as I continue my way down to the parallel lines painted on the dark street, the air conditioning blasting in the hot car as I travel to work so I’m cool by the time I arrive.
“So, as I was saying . . . do you think she’s preggers? Or what?” I blink back to myself, trying to process that information. What if she is pregnant? I know she’s been trying for a while, but her parents want her to get married first, so they always nag to TJ about it when they see him.
I don’t see them very often. I see Lynn sometimes when she travels up here with a very grown-up Ellie, who, to my surprise, still remembers who I am after all the years. Lynn treats me like she always has, with compassion and kind-heartedness. I don’t speak much to her dad, and she understands why. We never bring up Nick though. It’s an unspoken topic for everyone; more out of respect for me.
It was too much for my little heart when we broke up. I sobbed for a solid three months. I cried when I woke up, cried when I ate, cried when I read, and cried when I slept. I skipped my classes for two weeks to mend my broken heart and to pull myself back together. My parents had to fly down to see that I was broken. My dad wanted to speak with him, but I begged him not to. I had to fight him tooth and nail on it, pleading that he should just leave it because he would just make it worse. I begged him not to go near him, talk to him, or talk about him. I had enough. I reached my dead end, and I wanted to forget those rough times.
Even to this day, it still hurts. Five years on, and he still creeps into my thoughts.
He was my very first love. I can never forget him, especially when he’s doing so well in the NFL. He’s crushing it. He’s popular on social media too. People can’t get enough of the bad boy of the NFL.Bad boy Jackson.I mentally cringe at what they call him. No doubt, the women in marketing came up with that one.
TJ and Haley are still going strong. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous because I wanted what they have. Happiness. I hope to get it with my new boyfriend. We’ve been official for just over a year now. He’s in marketing for this big media company that works in TV, I forget the name of it, and he is not a football player. I don’t need it to be fast paced, that’s when things go wrong. I like the pace it’s at right now, slow and steady.
“I have no idea? Maybe it’s something to do with work or something? I don’t know . . . I don’t think TJ is ready for a bundle of joy just yet. He’s been threatened too many times to put a ring on her finger first!” I joke, making us both chuckle.
As I park up at the nearest spot to work, I sit in my car and talk to Danielle on the phone before I go in and start my schedule for the day. I mainly work with injuries and older people who have had surgery or have come out of the hospital after being injured in an accident. I love talking to them, they’re the friendliest people.
They always stop and have a chat with the therapists before they leave. Sometimes, they’d bring us cakes and food that they have made at home. This job helped me work on my people skills, building my confidence to talk to new people little by little. At first, I was super shy and one hundred percent awkward, but now, I don’t think twice about talking to people. I’m still an introvert at heart and do go through my shy spells, but most of the time, I just get on with it and get my work done because I wouldn’t get paid otherwise.
“Whatever it is, I’m dying to know! Is Ted coming?” Ted is my boyfriend, who works like crazy. I barely get to see him. Danielle set us up when we met at the grocery store. I thought he was cute. She was my wingwoman for the entire embarrassing encounter. I had no makeup on and was in a baggy jumper and ripped shorts that screamed hobo vibes. I still, to this very day, don’t understand why he agreed to a date with me. He gets a few looks from women whenever we’re out and I don’t blame them. Still, we went out and we still are going out now. He’s handsome, with the dark features framing his face, but most of all, he’s very generous to me, which is what I wanted most in a guy.
“Um, no, he has to work late tonight and tomorrow. He has a big presentation on Thursday that he needs to work on,” I explain his absence for the dinner. He’s been working so hard lately, and I’m a little concerned for him and his health. He’s always exhausted and he doesn’t stay over much anymore. When he does, he snaps at me, but I know it’s because he’s so drained from working so much. We don’t live together, but he stays over in my house or I stay over in his. We’re gradually getting used to each other’s space before we make the big move.Ifwe make the big move.
“Aw, shame! I’ll drop over during the weekend to say hi to you guys if he’s not hibernating after the meeting.” She giggles. I know that he will lock himself away in his room and not come out until it’s Monday morning to catch up on all the sleep he missed.
“Well, don’t be offended if he’s not awake and talking to you.” I unclip my seat belt and grab my belongings in the back of my car so I can start my day.My handbag and planner,I mentally list down what I need.
“When do I ever get offended by Ted?” she playfully chides me. I smirk back to the screen perched on the loudspeaker connector.
“All the time, Danielle. Anyway, tell Taylor and Chris I love them. I’ve arrived at work, so I’m going to head in and prepare for the day! I’ll talk to you tomorrow before the dinner?” I ask her before I push my door open, waiting for her response.
“Yep! I’ll call you tomorrow and talk then. Love you, Hun!” she says before the line goes dead. I push myself out of the car as the car bounces back into position. I place my possessions on the roof and twist the key to lock the car. I collect my bag and planner and stroll towards where I work. Twisting the key in the locked door to open it up, I allow myself in. I’m the first person to arrive. No surprises there. I switch the air conditioning on full blast to get rid of the stuffiness, switch on all the lights, and open the windows to let some fresh air inside.
I open my office door and get my table ready for my clients, lining it with tissue paper. I switch on my computer to see who I’m scheduled to see today.
Mr. Allen.
Mr. Bloomfield.
Mrs. Arden.
Two hour break.
Ms. Capri.
Ms. Dansel.
Not too bad today. One more client than usual. I like having more clients because it keeps me busy at work. I get paid more, which is what I need. This field is a lot more competitive than I originally thought. I need the work—I need the clients because I need the money.
This state is expensive to live in. So is New York, but this place is outrageous. I don’t have the jobs my brothers have, with their three-to-four-year contracts worth millions of dollars, plus endorsement deals. I have this nine-to-five job in a dilapidated rented space where lower- and middle-class people come in and out of on a daily basis, if we’re lucky.
So, I’m struggling to make ends meet. I have been for the last two years since moving out here and graduated from college. But I love working and living here. It’s very different from what I originally thought it would be. Some people are fake nice to you to get what they want. New Yorkers are a little more straight up with you. I’m not saying all people from these states are like that. The majority of them are. Nonetheless, I like them. I like it here. It’s my new home.
I can see the appeal for people to move out here. Nothing but beaches and sunshine all year round, only raining for like four days out of the year. It’s always busy. Cars are everywhere, and you can tell if people are rich; they’re not shy about it. Including my brother Chris who spoils his family rotten; myself included. I have caught him far too many times paying for my rent, and he’s bought me a few cars that I requested for him to return on account that I can pay for my own.
On my birthday, he took us all out to an exclusive restaurant and paid for everything. My parents even flew in to see me. So did Austin, who is still single and living in every bit of the moment. He finds it difficult to settle on one girl. Usually, it’s because he picks the wrong ones. He has never introduced us to one of them, so that’s how we know he’s not serious with them.
When I hear another person push through the main entrance, I know it’s Candice. She’s a wonderful mother of two gorgeous kids who come to our work every so often when they don’t have school. I’m usually the first to get in, then her, so we usually have breakfast together because she buys it on the way over here.
